Vehicle heat exchanger assembly



1967 K. w. GEHRKE ETAL 3,334,704

VEHICLE HEAT EXCHANGER ASSEMBLY Filed June 11, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Aug. 8, 1967 K. W. GEHRKE ETAL VEHICLE HEAT EXCHANGER ASSEMBLY FiledJune 11, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,1 K. w. GEHR-KE ETAL 3,334,704

VEHICLE HEAT EXCHANGER ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 11, 1965United States Patent 3,334,704 VEHICLE HEAT EXCHANGER ASSEMBLY KennethW. Gehrke, Westchester, and Louis C. Toth,

Mount Prospect, Ill., assignors to International Harvester Company, acorporation of Delaware Filed June 11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,204 13 Claims.(Cl. 180-68) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Vehicle oil cooler and engineradiator assembly constructed so that the cooler can be swung out, fortrash clean-out from between the units, without dismantling fluidconnections and in fact without shutting down the oil system or thevehicle engine. Swivel connections interconnect the cooler and a set ofoil hoses provided therefor and hinge connections interconnect thecooler and the supporting structure of the assembly in such a mannerthat all of said connections define a common swing axis and relieve oneanother of hydraulic and mechanical stress, respectively.

This application relates to air cooled heat exchanger units which areboth face to face with one another and substantially coextensive in theoperative relation. It more particularly relates to such units: whichhave that operative relation in a vehicle; which function as, say, thevehicle radiator and oil cooler units respectively; which are hingedtogether at one side; and which are detachably connected at the otherside so that they will relatively swing apart on the hinge.

A difficulty encountered in cooling the engine, the transmission oiland, in some instances, the hydraulic accessories oil in earth moving,earth and material handling,

agricultural, and other vehicles is that the respective exchanger unitstend to collect chaff, insects, and leaves therebetween if the units arenested together so as to share a common forced air stream. Unless suchdebris carried in by the air is periodically cleaned out, the rate ofheat exchange is impaired to a point that the vehicle and/ or itshydraulic accessories operate at low efficiency and at considerablybelow normal capacity. Clean out is generally a problem in the fieldand, under the more stringent chafiage and leafage conditionsencountered, the clean out is sometimes required two or three times peroperating shift.

The foregoing trash removal problem is handled herein in relativelysimple steps, and without necessarily stopping the vehicle engine. Forpurposes of disassembly, the driver unbolts and removes the vehicleradiator guard grill, if any, disconnects the oil cooler at itsdetachably connected side from the radiator, swings the two units apart,and cleans out the accumulated debris from the confronting faces of theunits and also from their outside faces if necessary. Reassembly isaccomplished in the inverse order of steps listed, all the while that apressure regulator which is provided maintains continuous oilcirculation and pressure in the cooler.

In the particular organization of our invention as herein illustrated,the exchanger assembly is installed in a vehicle having achassis-supported engine compartment, a hooded radiator guard definingan exchanger air duct at the outer end of the engine compartment, and afan in the engine compartment to move air through the air duct. The assembly itself, more particularly comprises first and second heatexchangers disposed-transversely in the air duct across an air path incommon to the exchangers, the first exchanger being framed by a rigid,chassis connected frame; the first exchanger frame having bracket meanssecured thereto and providing first frame connected connections at oneside of the first exchanger swingably seice curing the second exchangerthereto at that side, the first exchanger having second frame connectedconnections at the opposite side of the exchanger detachably securingthe second exchanger thereto at that side; and fluid connections to thesecond exchanger comprising swivels spaced apart along said one side ofthe first exchanger, each swivel comprising coupling parts which turnone within another and are arranged so that the axes of the individualswivels are fixed to coincide with one another; the first frame.connected connections comprising mechanical hinges spaced apart on thebracket means along the one side of the first exchanger, the hingesfunctioning to relieve the fluid connections so that the latter arestructurally free from transmitting loads when the exchangers relativelyswing, and arranged so that the axes of the hinges are fixed tosubstantially coincide with the fixed axes of the swivels during suchswinging.

The swivellin-g fluid connections referred to provide very simplebreakaway couplings, the parts thereof enabling inlet and outlet hosesto which they are connected to be readily uncoupled and recoupled to thecooler, without tools, as will now be explained in detail.

Features, objects, and advantages are either specifically pointed out orwill become apparent when, for a better understanding of the invention,reference is made to the following written description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which show a preferredembodiment thereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an external isometric view, toward a front quarter, of acrawler vehicle performing an earth handling operation and embodying theexchangers of the present invention;

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 are side elevational, front elevational, and top planviews of the exchanger assembly in the vehicle of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of a hinged, detachably securedexchanger unit showing the detachably secured side thereof;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, partially broken away, more complete view of adetail of FIGURE 3, likewise being a front plan view; and

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 are broken out showings of one detail of FIGURES 2, 3and 4, and are likewise side elevational, front elevational, and topplan views.

More particularly in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a crawler vehicle 10 isshown having a chassis suspended by and between a right track frame 12and a left track frame 14. The chassis includes two forwardly extendingarms, one being shown at 16, formed on a unitary front carrier. Thecarrier supports an engine in an engine compartment 18 which is open inthe upper rear sides for ventilation purposes.

A wrap around radiator guard 20, having a perforated guard grill 22 atthe front, is d-oweled at its opposite lower sides to the arms 16 of thefront carrier. The guard 20 supports the front end of the hood 24 whichsurrounds the engine compartment and which defines an exchanger aid ductat the outer end of the engine compartment 18. Within the air duct, in aline behind the guard grill 22, there are arranged a transmission oilcooler 26 for oil to air heat exchange, a cooling system radiator 28 forwater to air heat exchange, and a pusher disk fan, not shown, forforcing air frontwardly in a fan path through the respective radiator,oil cooler and grill.

In FIGURES 2 and 3, the oil cooler 26 and radiator 28 are supported asan exchanger assembly within the guard 20. The radiator 26 is framed-inby rectangular structure including vertically disposed frame sidemembers 30, an upper tank 32 bridged between, and joined by cornerbrackets 34 to, the top ends of the side members 30, and front and rearframe bottom rail members 36 bridging between, and joined by cornerbrackets 38 to, the bottom ends of the frame side members 30. Upper andlower devices 40 and 42 provide a rubber biscuit or pad connectionbetween four points on the wrap around plate of the guard 20 and fourtrunnions 44 on the radiator frame side members 30.

The upper radiator tank 32 carries a fill cap 46 at the top and carriesa water inlet 48 at the rear. A lower tank 50 in the radiator carries adownwardly and rearwardly extending water outlet 52 for connection tothe vehicle engine, not shown.

A pusher fan 54 within the engine compartment draws air across theengine and forces it in the direction of the arrows (FIGURE 2) acrossthe core of the radiator 28 and across the core of the cooler 26. Theradiator core comprises a series of parallel rows of vertically disposedflat water tubes 56 which are connected at their opposite ends to thetanks so as to conduct water from the upper tank 32 to the lower tank50. The radiator core also includes vertically spaced apart flat steelfins 58 which increase the heat transfer to air and which extendhorizontally across the radiator.

In FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the oil cooler 26 is in the space between, and isparallel to, the grill 22 at the front and the radiator 28 at the rearso as to define with the latter a vertical, thin, trash clean out gap orspace 60. The cooler 26 has a vertically extending right tank 62 andleft tank 64, the latter being divided by a horizontal partition 66 intoan upper and a lower portion.

Oil flows through the cooler 26 in a path including a lower fluidconnection 67, the lower portion of the left tank 64, a series ofhorizontal, flat oil tubes 68 disposed in the lower half of the coolercore, the right tank 62 where the oil transfers from the bottom end tothe top end, a series of flat oil tubes 70 which are horizontallydisposed and which connect the upper half of the right tank 62 and theupper half of the left tank 64, and thence through the upper portion ofthe tank 64 and an upper fluid connection 72 into a gooseneck down pipe74. The balance of the core of the cooler 26 includes a horizontal, topend plate 76, a horizontal, bottom end plate 78, and a row of verticallydisposed cooling fins 80 extending between the top and bottom plates 76and 78. The oil tubes 68 and 70 are transverse to all water tubes 56.

In FIGURE 2, a hose for leading the discharge from a torque converterforwardly is connected to an inlet fitting 82 that supplies the hot oilinput to the lower fluid connection 67 on the cooler. Cool oildischarged by the cooler 26 into the gooseneck down pipe 74 isdischarged through an outlet fitting 84 into a hose leading to an oilpressure regulator and to be a pressurizing pump for filling the torqueconverter. Two vertically spaced apart J-clamps 86 are secured by boltsto a clamp attachment plate 88 and encircle the down pipe 74 so as toprevent it from rotating.

In FIGURE 9, the frictional binding action of the J- clamps, such as theJ-clamp 86, is believed apparent. When the free legs of the clamp, aftera cylinder or tube is within the loop of the clamp, are forced togetherunder the head of a bolt, the loop collapses, reducing in circumferenceand forming a closed band of pressure contact for positive clampingeffect.

In FIGURES 2 and 4, the perforated grill 22 fits inside a shallow recesswithin the wrap around plate of the radiator guard 20 at a point beneatha generally horizontally disposed arching member 90 which bridges acrossthe underside of the guard so as to reinforce the top portion. At thesides, the grill 22 is detachably bolted to attachment angles 92 thatare secured to the sides of the plate of the radiator guard 20. Aforwardly and diagonally upwardly extending lower plate 94 in theradiator guard terminates in the plane of and at the bottom of the grill22, presenting a horizontally disposed bracket 96 to whichreinforcements, not shown, to the exchanger assembly are mounted.

The upper and lower corner brackets 34 and 38 adjacent the right coolertank 62 carry brackets 98 to which attachment angles 100 carried by theright tank 62 are detachably connected by two bolts 102. The bolts 102are readily removed by the vehicle driver, who gains access thereto byremoving the bolted on grill 22 from the radiator guard 20.

In FIGURES 3 and 4, the radiator frame side member 30 adjacent the lefttank 64 of the exchanger 26 carries a hinge bracket 104 of angle shapewhich is secured thereto by a series of bolts 106. The bracket 104carries vertically spaced apart hinges 108, which are secured to theleft tank 64 of the cooler and on which the cooler 26 is mounted toswing about a vertical axis 110.

In FIGURE 4, the cooler swings from an operative position shown by solidlines and limited by engagement between the attachment angles 100 andthe bracket 98, to a elean-out position shOWn by the bro-ken lines 26aand limited by engagement of the inner end of the cooler with avertically extending stop strap 112 which is fixed and disposed parallelto the adjacent attachment angle 92. The limits of swing just noted stopthe oil cooler after adequate movement to open the gap 60, and in onephysically constructed embodiment of the invention a swing of 64 wasfound sufficient.

In FIGURE 5, the upper one of the attachment angles 100 of the coller 26is shown in its disconnected position during swing out for cleaning thecooler.

In FIGURES 6, 7, 8, and 9, the hinges are symmetrically identical to oneanother and only the upper one of the hinges 108 on the bracket 104 willbe specifically described. The supporting part is a small plate 114 ofrectangular shape which is welded to the angle shaped hinge bracket 104and defines an aperture. The supported par is a hinge strap 116 brazedto the oil cooler left tank 64 and presenting a right angle lug havingan aperture registering with the first named aperture. A cap screw 118carrying a nut is received in the registering apertures and forms thepintle of the resulting hinge 108.

Top and bottom retainer plates 120 are welded to the hinge bracket 104at a point just above the upper fluid connection 72 and at a point justbelow the lower fluid connection 67 for the cooler 26. The two plateshave a forwardly open, semi-circular notch 122 therein for receiving thepipes connected to the inlet and outlet hose fittings 82 and 84previously described.

In FIGURE 6, only the upper fluid connection 72 is specificallydescribed. It is symmetrically identical to the lower connection 67 andthe same description will sufiice for both connections. An outer sleeve126 in the connection 72 is brazed at its top end to the short leg ofthe gooseneck downpipe 74 and carries a dust seal ring 128 at the lowerend. The sleeve 126 telescopes over a tubular stud 130 which is sealedthereto and which frictionally resists axial separation therefrom bymeans of an interposed O-ring 132. A 90 elbow fitting 134 carries thetubular stud 130 so as to align it with the hinge axis and, in aperpendicular direction, carries a threaded adapter 136 connecting it tothe inside of the left tank 64 of the oil cooler 26.

The notched plates prevent the fluid connections 67 and 72 from axiallyseparating, the oil cooling system being designed to handle pressure upto 20 psi. gage.

In operation under the design pressure, the tubular stud member rocksfluid tight on its axis as the cooler swings, whereas the sleeve 126 isfrictionally prevented from turning by means of a J-clamp 138 whichencircles the outer sleeve. The J-clamp 138 is secured by a nut and bolt140 to the hinge bracket 104. The J-clamp 138 affords the samenon-rotatable clamping action as the J- clamp 86 which is hereinabovedescribed in connection with in FIGURE 9 and which is used to preventthe gooseneck downpipe, not shown, from turning.

Complete removal of the oil cooler is begun, first, by following all ofthe steps for trash clean out. Thereafter, the pintle screws 118 areremoved from the hinges 108, and all of the J-clamps 86 and 138 areremoved.

The next step is that the cooler 26 is moved forwardly a slight amountso as to be free of the notches in the retainer plates 120, whereuponthe upper fluid connection 72 is broken by lifting the gooseneck pipe 74and the brazed-on tubular sleeve into the withdrawn position shown bythe respective dotted lines 74a and 126a. The pipe at the bottom of thelower fluid connection 67 is grasped and the connection is similarlyaxially broken, after which the cooler, carrying the 90 elbows 134 andthe hinge straps 116, is removed from the vehicle through the front endof the radiator guard 20. Reinstallation is accomplished in the inverseorder of steps listed.

As herein disclosed, the invention is shown embodied in the mode ofassembly of a transmission oil cooler with the engine radiator of avehicle. It is evident that additional exchanger units can be so mountedin assembly as to share a common fan path, and that units in other anddifferent combinations can be so mounted.

So also FIGURE 1 of the drawings shows that the vehicle 12 is equippedwith a front end loader 140, the consequence of which is that the airsurrounding the engine compartment tends to fill primarily with trashand flying debris from the falling earth or material 142 being handled.It is evident that the invention is equally applicable to a variety ofvehicles and stationary units vulnerable to chaff, leaves, or liketrash, and it is not essential that the cooling system fan be a pusherfan because the accumulation of trash and necessity for periodic cleanout are a similar problem with reversible fans and with straight suctionfans, by which air is drawn from the outside directly through -theexchanger units. The reason for the oil tubes 70 being horizontallydisposed in the cooler and the water tubes 56 being vertically disposedin the radiator resides in the mutual crosswise tube arrangement whichresults. The sets of water tubes are not aligned with any individual oiltube and therefore do not mask or stifle the operation of the oil coolertubes.

What is claimed is:

1. Exchanger assembly for a vehicle having a chassis and a cooling fanfor forcing air in a fan path, comprising:

first and second heat exchangers operatively related both face to facewith one another and substantially coextensive across an air path ofsaid fan in common to the exchangers, said first exchanger being framedby a rigid, chassis connected frame;

said first exchanger having first frame connected connections at oneside of the exchanger swingably securing the second exchanger thereto atthat side, said first exchanger having second frame connectedconnections at an opposite side of the exchanger detachably securing thesecond exchanger thereto at that side; and

fluid connections to the second exchanger comprising swivels spacedapart along one side of the first exchanger, each swivel comprisingparts which are relatively rotatable about an axis and arranged so thatthe swivel axes coincide;

said first frame connected connections comprising mechanical hingesspaced apart on the first exchanger frame along said one side of thefirst exchanger, the hinges functioning to relieve said fluidconnections so that they are structurally free from transmitting loadswhen the exchangers relatively swing, and arranged so that the hingesare substantially coaxial with the swivels during such swinging.

2. Exchanger assembly in combination with a vehicle having achassis-supported engine compartment, a hooded radiator guard definingan exchanger air duct at the outer end of the engine compartment, and afan in the engine compartment to move air through the air duct, saidassembly comprising:

first and second heat exchangers operatively related both face to facewith one another and substantially coextenseive across a common air pathin said duct,

said first exchanger being framed by a rigid, chassis connected frame;

said first exchanger frame having bracket means secured thereto andproviding first frame connected connections at one side of the exchangerswingably securing the second exchanger thereto at that side, said firstexchanger having second frame connected connections at an opposite sideof the exchanger detachably securing the second exchanger thereto atthat side; and

fluid connections to the second exchanger comprising swivels spacedapart along said one side of the first exchanger, each swivel comprisingparts arranged to turn one within another about a fixed axis, andarranged so that the axes of the swivels coincide with one another;

said first frame connected connections comprising mechanical hingesspaced apart on the bracket means along said one side of the firstexchanger, said hinges functioning to relieve said fluid connections sothat they are structurally free from transmitting loads when theexchangers relatively swing, and arranged so that the axes of the hingesare fixed to substantially coincide with the fixed axes of the swivelsduring such swinging.

3. The invention of claim 2,

said swivel parts being tubular and comprising an inner stud part and anouter sleeve part in mutually telescoped relation; and

means on the bracket means connected to the swivels to prevent rotationof the sleeve parts.

4. The invention of claim 3,

further comprising means on the bracket means preventing axialwithdrawal of the parts in each swivel from their mutually telescopedrelation.

5. The invention of claim 3, the last named means comprising J-shapedclamps each having a loop collapsed into a closed band of pressurecontact about, and frictionally gripping, a sleeve part.

6. The invention of claim 2, said vehicle being engine powered andhaving separate engine cooling and transmission cooling systems, saidfirst and second heat exchangers comprising respectively a radiatorincluded in the engine cooling system and an oil cooler included in thetransmission cooling system.

7. The invention of claim 6, said radiator having vertically spacedapart tanks joined by vertically disposed tubes, said oil cooler havinglaterally spaced apart tanks joined by laterally disposed tubes.

8. The invention of claim 7, the chassis-connected frame which framesthe radiator having rubber shock mountings constituting the soleconnection between the frame and the chassis of the vehicle so that theexchanger assembly is floated on rubber mountings.

9. The invention of claim 8, said fluid connections comprising pipes,and rubber hoses connected to the sleeve parts of the swivels by meansof the pipes.

10. The invention of claim 9, at least one of said pipes comprising agooseneck pipe and arranged whereby each pipe has a portion coaxial withthe coincident axes of the hinges and swivels.

11. Exchanger assembly for a vehicle having a chassis and a cooling fanfor forcing air in a fan path comprising:

first and second heat exchangers operatively related both face to facewith one another and substantially coextensive across an air path ofsaid fan in common to the exchangers, said first exchanger being framedby a rigid, chassis connected frame;

said first exchanger having first frame connected connections at oneside of the exchanger swingably securing the second exchanger thereto atthat side, said first exchanger having second frame connectedconnections at an opposite side of the exchanger detachably securing thesecond exchanger thereto at that side;

connections providing fluid communication to and from the secondexchanger comprising swivels spaced apart along one side of the firstexchanger, said swivels having coupling portions which are relativelyrotatable on individual swivel axes fixed to coincide with one another;

said first frame connected connections comprising mechanical hingesspaced apart on the first exchanger frame along said one side of thefirst exchanger, said hinges functioning to relieve said fluidconnections so that portions thereof are structurally free frommechanical loading when the exchangers relatively swing, and arrangedwith the hinges and the swivels maintained substantially coaxial duringsuch swingmg;

means of mechanical attachment between the first exchanger and a portionof each swivel providing support for the latter;

means of mechanical attachment between the second exchanger and aportion of each swivel providing support for the latter;

flexible inlet and outlet hose means coupled by the fluid connections tothe second exchanger;

separate fluid connections providing communication to and from the firstexchanger; and

inlet and outlet hose means connected to the last named fluidconnections.

12. The invention of claim 11,

further comprising stops limiting the exchangers at both ends of theirarc of relative swing.

13. The vinvention of claim 12,

said stops being disposed one at an end of swing limiting the exchangersto a substantially parallel relation, and the other limiting theexchangers to an angular separation of no more than approximately 65from the parallel relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 25 LEO FRIAGLIA, PrimaryExaminer.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner.

1. EXCHANGER ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE HAVING A CHASSIS AND A COOLING FANFOR FORCING AIR IN A FAN PATH, COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND HEATEXCHANGERS OPERATIVELY RELATED BOTH FACE TO FACE WITH ONE ANOTHER ANDSUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE ACROSS AN AIR PATH OF SAID FAN IN COMMON TOTHE EXCHANGERS, SAID FIRST EXCHANGER BEING FRAMED BY A RIGID, CHASSISCONNECTED FRAME; SAID FIRST EXCHANGER HAVING FIRST FRAME CONNECTEDCONNECTIONS AT ONE SIDE OF THE EXCHANGER SWINGABLY SECURING THE SECONDEXCHANGER THERETO AT THAT SIDE, SAID FIRST EXCHANGER HAVING SECOND FRAMECONNECTED CONNECTIONS AT AN OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE EXCHANGER DETACHABLYSECURING THE SECOND EXCHANGER THERETO AT THAT SIDE; AND FLUIDCONNECTIONS TO THE SECOND EXCHANGER COMPRISING SWIVELS SPACED APARTALONG ONE SIDE OF THE FIRST EXCHANGER, EACH SWIVEL COMPRISING PARTSWHICH ARE RELATIVELY ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS AND ARRANGED SO THAT THESWIVEL AXES COINCIDE; SAID FIRST FRAME CONNECTED CONNECTIONS COMPRISINGMECHANICAL HINGES SPACED APART ON THE FIRST EXCHANGER FRAME ALONG SAIDONE SIDE OF THE FIRST EXCHANGER, THE HINGES FUNCTIONING TO RELIEVE SAIDFLUID CONNECTIONS SO THAT THEY ARE STRUCTURALLY FREE FROM TRANSMITTINGLOADS WHEN THE EXCHANGERS RELATIVELY SWING, AND ARRANGED SO THAT THEHINGES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH THE SWIVELS DURING SUCH SWINGING.